


Nevertheless, She Persisted

by warsisbetterthantrek



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Howard stark, Bisexual Peggy Carter, Bisexual Tony Stark, Bottom Howard Stark, Bucky Barnes Feels, F/F, F/M, Fake Character Death, Friends to Lovers, Gay Steve Rogers, M/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-01 13:57:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14522100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warsisbetterthantrek/pseuds/warsisbetterthantrek
Summary: Steve Rogers has a secret, something he's only ever told his sister, Maggie. But everything changes when he's given the serum that turns him into Captain America. Will his new powers be enough to help him get the man he wants? Maggie started off as just a nerdy assistant to Howard Stark, but now she's so much more. But she has trouble of her own to deal with...namely one James Buchanan Barnes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is going to be eventual Bucky/OC and Loki/OC, but at different times. I realized that they're never really alive at the same time until Ragnarok when it's revealed that Loki faked his death. It will only be based off of the MCU, and I'll be taking some liberties with that to make the story work for me. It will also be Steve/Howard and eventual Steve/Tony. Sorry if that's weird! Enjoy!

“Mr Stark! Wait!” I stumbled up the stairs after him, trying to keep all my papers from falling from my arms. He turned back towards me, and raised an eyebrow with a look that made all the girls go weak at the knees. I blushed like an idiot, pushing my heavy glasses up from where they had slipped down my nose.  
“You forgot these. The test results for the last batch of the serum. Colonel Phillips will want to see them.”  
“Thank you Miss-”  
“Rogers sir. Margaret Rogers, but everyone just calls me Maggie.” At my name he seemed to think of something.  
“Margaret Rogers that figured out the enzyme balance in the serum?” I blushed. Again. Goodness what was wrong with me.  
“Yes Mr Stark, it wasn't too hard I just-”  
“Never mind that. Come with me.” I followed him through the hallway marked AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY, and never looked back. 

 

*8 Months Later*

 

“Steve! What happened?” My brother's face looked bruised and bloody, as it seemed to more and more these days. Half carried in by his best friend, he was deposited on our tiny sofa.  
“You should see the other guys.” He grinned at Bucky, but his face fell a fraction at my stony glare.  
“Should I? Do their faces look like hamburger meat too?” I stomped off to the kitchen, about four feet away, to run a cold cloth under some water. “And don't you encourage him!” I threw the sopping cloth at them, Steve's face as defiant as ever, and headed to my bedroom. About a hour later I was lost in my book, trying to recharge from my day. I loved working for Dr Erskine and Mr Stark, trying to figure out ways to help us win the war. But by the end of the day my brain felt like mush. Dr Erskine, or Abe, as he'd asked me to call him a few weeks after I started working with the two of them more closely, said I was not to think of work while I was at home. A well rested mind was the surest way to success. I didn't think that he and Howard were following their own advice, as every day the bags under their eyes seems to sink deeper. There was a soft knock at my door, and I heard it open.  
“Go away Steve.” I muttered without looking up from my book.  
“It's not Steve.” I looked up at Bucky, my brother's best friend. My first crush. Even though I'd been sweet on him since the first night Steve brought him home, I was angry enough tonight to not let that stop my frown.  
“For what it's worth, I don't encourage him.”  
“You encourage him by existing, all he wants is to be like you.” I turned back to my book. "Coming back on leave looking like a shiny new penny. That's not reality."  
“Whatcha reading?” He leaned against the door frame, trying to change the subject.  
“This above all.” I rolled my eyes at the look he gave me.  
“That anti-war romance stuff?”  
“Yes. And you ought to have read it, before you went off and enlisted.”  
“Why? Do you miss me?” He gave me a smile that I knew had won over more than a few of the neighborhood girls. Not that he'd ever looked at me that way. I was always going to be just Steve's kid sister. Built about the same too, I hadn't grown much since I met him when I was twelve years old. Scrawny and flat with coke bottle glasses that didn't do much for my pinched, too small face. When he did occasionally flirt with me I knew it was just to be nice.  
“We're going to the exhibition tomorrow, do you want to come with us? There'll be other girls there for you to talk to.” Oh goody.  
“I have to work.” I was lying, but I could always stay late. No one would mind.  
“What is this fancy new job you have anyway? Steve said you've been pretty mum about it.”  
“It's nothing. Just working at the antique store.”  
“Well it's not nothing. You're keeping this family going with that job you know.” I nodded, not sure what to say to that. “If you change you're mind, the invite's still there.”  
“Thanks.” He nodded and left after saying goodnight and I fell into a restless sleep. Worrying about Bucky, and worrying about Steve trying to be Bucky.

The next day passed in a blur. We were getting so close to a big breakthrough, Howard was in a whirlwind after we solved a tiny problem that had stopped the Vita-Rays from stabilizing. The final breakthrough in that step. But we were still a ways away with the serum.  
“Go out tonight and have some fun Maggie. Or whatever kind of fun a 20 year old girl can get up to on her own in New York City.” He grinned at me in a way I thought was meant to be conspiratorial, but it just made me realize how sad my life really was.  
“I don't have much to be getting on with, I think I'll just stay here a little while longer and work. If that's ok with you?” He smiled kindly. Not the way he smiled at the other girls that ran the phones or brought coffee, but the way he smiled at Abe. I didn't know wether to be flattered that he thought me his equal, or insulted that he wasn't attracted to me. I guess I couldn't have it both ways.  
“In that case, I'll stay too.” I started to protest, but he set about ordering in supper from the pizzeria down the block and ignored my protests. We didn't get much done, especially after Abe joined us, but it was fun to just relax with them, instead of only ever talking about formulas and equations. I was too tired to get back home that night, so I stayed until early the next morning. 

When I did get back to the apartment, Steve was packing up his things.  
“What's going on?” Bucky answered from where he was perched on the arm of a chair.  
“They let him enlist. For a special program they said. It was a doctor. A foreign doctor that let him in. Fancy that!” My stomach dropped.  
“What was his name?” I crossed the room and grabbed Steve by the shoulders.  
“Who?”  
“The doctor! What was his name?!” I was screaming at him and I knew the answer even before he said it.  
“Erskine. His name was Erskine...Hey, did you just get home?” I barely registered the look on Bucky's face when he realized that I had been out all night. I turned around and headed straight back to the lab, the boys shouts dying behind me as I ran. Steve could not be allowed to participate in this. I wouldn't allow it. 

“Did you know?” I didn't announce myself as I burst into the kitchen where Abe and Howard sat eating breakfast. I could tell by the sheepish look that he did.  
“How could you? He's my brother! He's all I've got left! If he goes to war, and doesn't come back...his crappy health is the only thing keeping him safe.”  
“Maggie...”  
“Don't.” I held up my hand to Howard. Feeling bolder than I should have.  
“Maggie. Your brother wants to serve his country. You're able to, why shouldn't he if he can? If he's given the chance. He's the kind of man who should be given this serum. A good man. A moral man who just want to serve his country, and protect the innocent.” I knew Abe was right. I knew it in my heart. But that didn't make it ok with me.  
“If he dies, I will never forgive you.” I slammed the door behind me a little harder than was necessary when I left. Howard found me sitting at my desk a while later. We'd added a third one to his and Abe's a few weeks after I got the same level of clearance as them, an extraordinary feat of theirs. It still made me smile.  
“Maggie?” He came and sat on the desk in front of me, and I leaned back in my chair to face him.  
“I'm sorry I snapped at you. This isn't your fault. I know what we're making...I just never thought it'd be my brother who might be taking it.”  
“Well if it makes you feel any better, Colonel Phillips isn't too keen on the idea, so it might not even come to that. But at least now you don't have to lie to him about your work. That's something.” The last sentence sounded like a question, and I nodded in response. He smiled,  
“And you don't have to apologize for snapping. I don't think I mind this new snappy Maggie. She's got spunk.” He squeezed my shoulder and left the room. After I calmed down I made my way home. 

“Maggie.” Steve looked frazzled by the time I got home, “Where have you been? Bucky's out looking for you.”  
“Listen, there's something I have to tell you...”

By the time Bucky got back to the apartment, Steve had digested that fact that I had been lying to him for almost a year.  
“Thank god you're safe,” He pulled me into a hug that I definitely wasn't angry about, “Where the hell did you go? I've looked everywhere for you. I didn't want to have to ship out tomorrow without saying goodbye.” He held on a little longer, and there was something in his eyes...  
“Listen Buck about that. I've got to tell you something.”  
“That you're working for Stark? Yeah I know.” I didn't know what to say. “You're really bad at this lying thing ya know. After you told me about the antique store, I asked around. I knew you were brainy, but jeez Maggie. Working on this stuff is really something else.”  
“Do you think I have what it takes?” Steve's small voice cut through the strange look Bucky was giving me. I looked at my big brother. Who had always seemed so strong to me, even when he was so physically weak.  
“I do.” I said, and I wasn't lying. 

 

A few short weeks later, we were back from the training camp, and even after all my efforts to somehow shield him from it. Steve had been chosen. Not even Col Phillips' dislike for him, could stop him from seeing that he was the right man for the job, after an incident with a grenade. On the plus side, I had finally met Agent Peggy Carter, and she was everything Howard had promised me. Intelligent and capable, she gave me something to strive towards professionally. And she showed me how to put on make up and do my hair in a way that didn't resemble a preschooler.  
When the day finally came we had one dose of the serum set up for Steve, and another for a second soldier. Also hand picked by Colonel Phillips. The two doses were all we had, so they had to be perfect. My hands were shaking as I set the delicate equipment around my brother. Abe was giving a speech behind us.  
“You ok?” I asked him as he was strapped in.  
“Yeah. Just peachy.” I saw him trembling and took his hand.  
“Just remember, your sister and I are really really smart,” Steve laughed and I smiled at Howard as he took over for me, “If anyone can pull this off without us killing you, it's us.” He pulled my hand to kiss it before I let go, and was cocooned in the metal casing we had made to protect the rest of us from the Vita-Rays. I looked up at Peggy in the viewing room, and she smiled nervously at me, looking a little more emotionally invested than she was supposed to be. Howard squeezed me hand before he started to turn on the rays. He didn't get far before Steve started screaming in pain. But after Peggy yelled at them to stop, we heard him from inside, telling us he could do it. Howard looked at me for...permission? A powerful man asking for permission, however slightly, in 1942 was no small thing.  
“Do it.” As soon as the words left my mouth, he turned the dial up to 100%, and almost as the equipment threatened to blow out around us, it was over. 

The casing opened to reveal my brother, but not as I'd ever known him. This Steve was tall and muscular, not the scrawny, sickly looking boy-man we had put in there. The serum had worked. It was bliss. Howard lifted me and spun me around, and as soon as he put me down I made my way through the crowd of government agents and military men to my brother.  
“Well? How do I look?” I laughed and hugged him, unhooking him from the last of the monitors. It was the happiest I'd ever been, and then it was over. I didn't really register the gunshot for what it was when I saw the red bloom on the second soldier's shirt. The one who would've followed Steve into the case. In the chaos that followed he stole the second set of serum, and Abe was shot.  
“We have to get it back. The formula, it cannot fall into Hitler's hands.” He bit out the words.  
“Steve will get it back. Just hold on, everything is going to be ok.” As if saying his same was a sign, Steve got back with the case, containing the second dose of the serum.  
“We need to use it now. Were there any runner ups to these two?” Some General or other was talking to Colonel Phillips, who was shaking his head.  
“No. None of the men are right. This power, it's too much to be given to someone that can be corrupted.” The nurses had stopped helping Abe, and I knew what that meant. He was barely holding on.  
“Colonel.” He croaked.  
“Yes doctor,”  
“There was only one formula, it was never written down. That dose is the last there is. Use it wisely, and protect it at all costs. You remember what we talked about.” Phillips flicked his eyes almost imperceptibly towards me, and then murmured the affirmative. He was almost gone now. And Phillips left Howard, Steve and I to soothe our friend into his last moments.  
“Be good, my friends, and do what's right.”

Abe's body was cleared away, and a small cut on my forehead I didn't realize I had was being cleaned out by Howard.  
“You OK on your own for a sec?” I nodded, numb. Abe was gone. One of my closest friends was just gone in an instant. But, I remembered, we were at war. How many men in Europe were feeling the loss that I felt now.  
“I will not have it!” General something or other was shouting at Colonel Phillps now.  
“It's the best option. It will keep the serum safe, and we know it's with a trustworthy subject.”  
“And if she defects?”  
“Then she'll give them no more information than if she defected now.” Howard was in it now. All the shouting was giving me a headache.  
“She's his sister, that's leverage at least if you need to think about it in those terms.”  
“It's your call Colonel, this is your project. But on your own head be it.” He left. And the fuzziness in my head was starting to clear.  
“Why not Agent Carter? She's combat trained at least. Rogers is a scientist, not a soldier.”  
“Carter's not an American, no offence Peggy.”  
“None taken Howard.” Peggy was leaned up against a desk, watching the argument with practiced ease, though something about her seemed tense. She turned her gaze to me, “But why don't we ask Maggie what she wants to do.” At the sound of my name I looked up. Phillips and Howard shared a look with Steve, who had been silent so far. It was him that came towards me.  
“We have a proposition for you, and we'll understand if you say no.” Phillips made a noise behind him, and Howard silenced him with a look. “The super serum can't be left like this, it's too vulnerable to attack. It's too easy to steal. But, once it's bonded with a person, it's a lot harder.”  
“So we need to find another soldier.”  
“There are no other soldiers, not ones that meet the psych requirements...but you do.”  
“What are you getting at Steve?” I suddenly began to put together all that they had been saying, and I didn't like it. “I'm not a soldier,”  
“You could be, with this stuff.” Howard came to kneel by me,  
“You're the best choice for this, although I'll admit we don't have a lot of choices. You already know all about the serum, so we're not risking anything with you. Abe would've wanted it to be you Maggie.” I looked at him, right in his handsome earnest face. Looking between him and my brother. My sweet brother who had been turned into some sort of grecian god human with my science.  
“Do you really think I can do this?” They nodded, and I stood, turning to Phillips.  
“Alright then.” He nodded briskly, and everyone set about getting things ready, adjusting for my size compared to the soldier who should have been in my place. Only when Howard had double and triple checked the math, and then had me double check his triple check, would he let us go ahead.  
“Are you ready to be a new woman?”  
“Do I have a choice.” He squeezed my hand, and Steve kissed my cheek, and took off my glasses. My last look at the world before the lid shut on my face was a total blur. Then I was surrounded by light and pain. I must have passed out for a second, because before I knew it, the lid was off, and the world was clear.  
“My god.” I heard Howard say, and then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke again on the floor of the lab, to Steve's face hovering above me.   
“Maggie! Are you ok?” Almost immediately he was gently pushed out of the way by Howard, who was covered me with his blazer, and shined a light in my eyes. I got up, clutching the blazer to what I now realized were actual woman sized breasts. When I stood, I immediately noticed that I wasn't looking up to everyone anymore. I was tall! Still not as tall as Steve, I assumed on account of the fact that they gave me less serum? I didn't have glasses on. Even with the thick lenses that I was normally pushing up my nose, my vision had never been this clear. It was almost too clear.   
“So it worked?” I was trying for a joke and everyone laughed nervously.   
“Well, she certainly looks better.” I heard one of the men mutter. Steve took a step towards him but was blocked by Howard who put a hand on his chest and shook his head.   
“She can handle herself now Steve.” I grinned at Peggy, and she made a gesture to follow her. We made our way up the steps, past the ruined gallery and into a small meeting room.   
“Now that we're alone. How do you feel?” She said, concern in her eyes.   
“I've never felt better. I feel like I can do anything,” I was pacing, suddenly realizing just how full of energy I was. “And it's not just the physical Peggy, it's everything. I understand everything. Problems I was never able to solve seem so simple now. I guess that makes sense. The serum amplifys what's already within us. So intelligence becomes genius.”   
“That actually works in our favor.” Howard, Steve and Phillips had entered the room. “Instead of going being a dancing monkey with Steve, no offence, you get to come with us to the front lines as part of the science division.”  
I looked at Steve, and saw the hurt on his face. All he had wanted was a chance to serve his country. And now I was the one going to Europe, without him.   
“Can you guys leave us alone for a minute. I want to talk to my sister.” Peggy said she'd find me some clothes that fit and come back. Howard touched Steve on the arm before he left, an odd gesture that I didn't miss. I felt like I was noticing everything all around me at once. When they had left, I sat against the table. My skirt that had been loose on the skinny version of me was now bursting at the seams, and much too short for my liking. I looked at my arms, they were toned and muscular, but not in the way Steve was now. I felt more agile, more tuned for speed than brute strength, though I knew Steve was plenty fast now, and I suspected I was stronger than any man.   
“It feels strange.” he said, and I was all of a sudden glad that we were going through this together. He seemed to think the same thing. “It's almost like I know what you're thinking.” He grinned.  
“I think we're just...observant? Is that enough? It feels like so much more than that. I feel like I could take us to space and beat a strongman in a wrestling contest all at once.” I looked down at my legs. Flexing them and feeling the power I knew they had now. The power I had helped design.   
“I know what you mean. Maybe not the smarts so much...but you always were the bright one.”   
“I'm sorry they're taking me. It should be you.” He swallowed.   
“I could be useful over there.” He blinked slowly, like he was deciding something. “But if I can help the war effort here then here is where I'll be. And I'll give it my all.” 

 

By the time I got back to the apartment to pack my things, I was amazed that regular women got any work done at all. I had never been ugly, but I was a long way off pretty. Too scrawny to make any red blooded man stop and stare, and with no real features to fall back on. My face was small and pinched, and my hair was a nice enough colour. But it was thin, and laid too flat on my head. The voluminous curls of the other girls my age had always escaped me until I'd met Peggy. But even then. It was a small effort. But now! The walk home had been illuminating. I'd never passed through the world as a pretty girl before, and the side effect was heady. Men had looked at me on the street. One man even called out to me! Ordinarily this would've terrified me, but I was stronger than all of them now. The only man who had ever even flirted with me was Bucky, and it was always in jest.   
“It gets old quickly.” Peggy said as we packed my things, an amused smirk on her face. I thought she was probably right. But for now...it was a nice change. 

We shipped out the next day. Saying goodbye to Steve was hard, I'd never been away from him before. He was the only family I'd ever had, except Bucky. He promised to write to me weekly, but I could tell it was killing him to watch his little sister ship off to the war. Even if I wasn't going into combat. Our technology was far behind the Germans, but between Howard and my new mind, we hoped we could catch up. 

The time passed quickly at the front, as weeks faded into months. We spent a lot of our time in large tents, only a few miles away from the worst of it. Occasionally I was asked to lift something particularly heavy, but mostly I stayed in the SSR tent with Howard. Watching Peggy, or Agent Carter as she had asked me to call her out here was amazing. A woman commanding men! And better still, the Colonel had her back. When she said a uppity private had been inappropriate with her, and defended her discipline, he took her at her word. She commanded respect, although half the camp was obviously in love with her. I had noticed that even with my new found body, and thick beautiful hair, there was a lot more to looking like Peggy than was let on. I had neither the inclination, nor the knowledge, to look like that day in and day out. As a result I was pretty, but rather unkept. Howard didn't seem to mind, he seemed able to find people to flirt with and seduce no matter where we were.   
It shocked me a little the first time I saw him sneak off with one of the men, and then I realized that it didn't shock me at all. He made no mention of it the next day, and we continued work as usual. But the next night it was a different soldier. And another, and so on. One day rainy and awful day, somewhere in France, while we were working on a problem neither of us could seem to crack, my curiosity got the best of me. Even though the camp was almost deserted as the majority of the men were on a scouting mission, I made sure there were no soldiers withing hearing.   
“So, how is Hodge doing?” I wasn't facing him, but I saw Howard become still in my periphery. I looked at him, feigning innocence, “Do the walks help you sleep or..?” the corner of my mouth twitched up without my permission, and he relaxed minutely.   
“How did you know?” I raised a brow,   
“You're not exactly subtle.” I paused, not sure how to say what I wanted to next. “You know I don't mind.” I tried for a conversational tone.   
“I didn't imagine that you would. But you see it's not something I like to advertise. Given that it's illegal...” I could hear the hidden question.   
“Your secret is safe with me Howard. But I do have a question. All the girls before? Were they just a smoke screen?”   
“No.” He had relaxed, and was now leaning on the table I was working at. “I very much enjoy women, I just don't seem to be able to stop enjoying men either.” His voice got quieter now, the bravado gone.  
“I'm glad you know Maggie. You're, well you're the first person to know who isn't, you know. In on it. So to speak.” I snickered at that, and he continued, “I think you might be my best friend in the world, you know that?” I looked up at him, genuinely touched.   
“You too Howard.” He kissed my forehead and went back to his makeshift desk, a little smile on his face. 

A few hours later we were given orders to move out to Italy, they had word that Schmidt had a base out there, and our tech, meagre though it was, could help them take it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! I'm going to try to update a couple times a week. Though that might be pushing it for me. Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Great Escape

 

We were too late. By the time we made it to Italy, the unit stationed there had been attacked. There was a small unit of about 50 soldiers left, but most of their number had been captured or killed by Schmidt and Hydra. We arrived at the only a few hours after a plane with my brother on it. I wanted to see the act that he hated so much, but we needed to set up more than I needed to see the chorus girls. It was just as well I sat this one out, even though I didn't know it was the last one he'd ever do. The performance went terribly, or so we were told. They were trying to play to the remaining men, but the soldiers who'd just watched their friends die or be taken captive weren't feeling particularly patriotic. After we were done setting up, I left Howard to entertain the chorus girls, and went to find Steve. He was sitting on the steps beside the stage, a look on his face I'd never seen before. It almost looked like defeat. Almost.

“Hey there soldier.” He looked up at my voice and a familiar smile slowly came across his face. He stood up to hug me, and I realized how much I had missed him, and how much he'd changed from the serum.Even though we had written almost every week, I hadn't seen him since I'd left New York almost 8 months ago. We'd barely had a day together in our new bodies before we were shipped out, and it was still jarring to see him like this. He was wasted as a promoter. Even I could see that, and unlike me, he wanted to be on the front lines. He was made for more than this, I knew because I'd helped design the serum. But if he was, did that mean I was too? We made small talk for a while, before sitting to really talk.

“How's things been?” He asked, trying to put on a face, but I knew the reception of the other soldiers, was weighing on him. Coupled with how useless he felt in the first place.

“It's been...productive. They were just attacked you know, they lost half their men. I'm not sure what unit it was, they try to send as little as possible information in case it gets compromised. But, it was just bad timing Steve.”

“I could be doing so much more than this.” He gestured to his costume. Because that's what it was.

“Abe meant you for more than this. He knew you could do great things with these gifts. Once they figure that out, then you can really get to work.”

“I was hoping they would've figured it out by now. But the last I checked Phillips only wants me here, or in a lab. And not like you in a lab.” I'd never herard this before, and made a mental note to ask the Colonel about it next chance I got. Seeing no way out of the depressing road the conversation had taken, I changed tact,

“Come on, let's get you a drink.” I took him back to the SSR tent I shared with Howard, and grabbed the bottle of whiskey he kept in his desk.

“It doesn't do much anymore, to me anyway, but the motion helps.” I passed him a glass.

“Well well well, if it isn't Captain America.” Howard appeared at the entrance of the tent, clearly having lost interest in the girls. If I hadn't known any better, I'd have thought Steve was blushing. “To what do we owe the pleasure,” then, seeing the glasses in our hands, “Rough show?” We filled him in and he had a drink with us. I rarely got to see the charm of Howard Stark at work, but today he was on top form. The way he looked at Steve, as if he was the only person in the room, the subtle touches of his arm, too subtle to be meaningful to anyone who didn't know better. The way his eyes flicked every so often to Steve's lips. I watched with interest, but eventually got tired of the show, and the way Steve was so helplessly falling for it and excused myself. I went for a walk to clear my head. I made it round some of the tents before I ran into Colonel Phillips.

“Miss Rogers. How are things coming?”  
“Everything's moving along well, though not as fast as we'd hoped. I wish we could have been here sooner. Maybe it could have made a difference.” I had to ask him about Steve,

“Yes. I won't lie to you Rogers it's been a blow. The 107th was one of the most promising group of men out here.” The words turned to lead in my stomach. Bucky was in the 107th.

“Do you have a list of the men that were taken? Of the confirmed dead?”

“Yes.” I could see a why was on his lips, but he never asked. Just took me to his tent and looked for the name I needed. He was MIA, presumed dead.

“I'm sorry. Truly.”

“Don't be sorry yet Colonel.” I walked away then, knowing I was about to break a whole lot of rules. But I needed to find Bucky, and if I was court marshalled for it then so be it.

“Rogers wait...Rogers! Maggie!”

 

The plan was simple. Howard would fly us in as far as he could, and we would make the rest of the way on foot. Never mind the fact that neither I or Steve had ever really spent a day in the field, our super soldierness was just going to have to do.

“Are you sure about this?” Peggy asked,

“There's no other option.” I looked down at my hands.

“Bucky is our family.” Steve said beside me. Peggy was explaining the plan to Steve, and making sure he knew how to use the transmitter, but all I could think was that I was flying into enemy territory, with my brother. The idea seemed laughable, except that I kept remembering that we were superhuman. Howard asked Peggy if she wanted to go for fondue on the way back out. Classic Howard. It was a well timed jab to make both of them uncomfortable, while also serving to make Steve jealous if he happened to be interested in either of them. Much as I wanted to see how it played out, we started to take fire, and so we jumped.

Infiltrating the compound was surprisingly easy, though as Steve pointed out, they probably weren't expecting two people to try and mount a full scale rescue mission alone. The Germans were massing strange weapons and when I tested one of the guns on a soldier who had the bad luck to come across us, it vaporized him.

“Steve. This tech is so far past us.” He gave me a worried look, but we kept moving. We found our way to the cells, and despite a little resistance that I was happy to let Steve take care of, we made it there quite quickly.

“Who the hell are you two supposed to be?” A tall moustached man asked when I broke the lock to his cell.

“The calvary.” I replied, earning a smirk from my brother and the surrounding troops. The man grinned and tipped his hat.

“Much obliged ma'am.” We freed the rest of the men, and told them to give the Germans hell on the way out.

“Are you sure you know what you're doing?” one of the men asked,

“Sure,” Steve said before I had a chance to reply, “I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over 200 times.” I laughed at the stunned looks on their faces as we ran off in what we hoped was the right direction. After only a minute or so we ran into trouble, and Steve wasn't able to handle them all on his own this time. I still had the gun, but since using it the first time, I was weary of taking life so callously. Two men advanced on me, looking more predatory than any men I'd ever seen. Maybe it was fear, or maybe it was instinct combined with the serum. But when the first soldier lunged at me, I not only blocked him easily, I broke his arm like a twig. I didn't have to think about it, it was like my body already knew what I needed to do. I turned to the second man, and in a fit of adrenaline, kicked out his legs from under him before I knocked him out with my knee. Neither men were dead, but they wouldn't be getting up any time soon either.

I'd never felt so alive, or so strong. I understood Steve's need to fight now. I understood everyone who'd ever wanted to fight for their country, or for any reason at all really. It was amazing. Steve waited only a second for me to bask in the glory of my victory before pulling me onwards, a strange look on his face.

“We need to keep moving.” There were tanks and stockpiled weapons everywhere, but we didn't have time to linger and try to figure out what they were planning. We turned down what seemed like the hundredth brick hallway and came across a small furtive man coming from one of the rooms. He ran off when he saw us, but as we started after him I heard murmuring from the room he'd come from. We both paused, and headed inside. I knew it was him before I saw him, but the sight still caught me off guard.

“Bucky.” We ran towards him, and I turned to my brother, “Look around and see if you can find anything.” I ripped off his restraints as Steve quickly took stock of the room. Bucky was muttering nonsense, and I wasn't sure if they had been torturing him or treating him for some kind of illness, but either way he didn't look good.

“It's us, Bucky. Maggie and Steve.” Only when I said our names did he seem to truly see me.

“Maggie.” His eyes lit up, the glassiness gone, and as I helped him off the table Steve came around to assist.

“We thought you were dead.” He said, clapping Bucky on the shoulder, careful not to hit too hard.

“I thought you were smaller.” He croaked out, still a wiseass. I laughed and he looked at me, brow furrowed, but said nothing.

“We have to get going. I don't know how much longer we can stay here without being killed.” I supported Bucky, so Steve could go ahead.

“What happened to you two?” He asked, hobbling along with me.

“We joined the army.” I quipped, as we made our escape. After a few minutes Bucky was able to walk on his own and peppered us with questions about our transformation.

“Can we talk about this after we escape the burning building?” I said as we rounded the corner to multiple explosions. “They must have some sort of self destruct failsafe. Did you find anything in the room?”

“A map, but I didn't get a great look at much else.”

As we reached the cross walk that would lead us out, a Nazi officer called out to Steve. Taunting him about Abe. It was Schmidt. He knew who Steve was, and that he had been turned by the super soldier serum. He knew so much, but he hadn't noticed me, and didn't seem to know we had succeeded with a second soldier. My hair was still stuffed up in my helmet, and with my dirty unmade face and baggy fatigues, I didn't look like much of a girl, let alone a super one. I looked like a regular soldier, and this Red Skull paid me exactly as much attention as he paid Bucky. After his speech about how far they had come from being mere humans, he ran, and we were left trying to escape before we all died of smoke inhalation. We almost made it to the exit. Both Bucky and Steve barely made it across an unstable beam, but by the time I went to try it had come down.

“Look around! There has to be something else you can use!” There wasn't, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. The only option was to jump. Even though I knew I was super, it was still at least 20 feet across. I had no time to analyze the math to see if I could make it.

“Maggie no!” Steve was shouting, but I was looking at Bucky, and for some reason his steady gaze calmed me. I bent what was left of the railing out of the way, got a running start, and leapt.

 

 

Steve 

We got back to the base in one piece. No lives lost. A victory. Colonel Phillips seemed more than a little pissed about our little adventure, but the man appreciated results. In the aftermath Bucky followed Maggie into her tent so she could stitch him up. If it were any other man, at any other time, I would have been following right along with him. But he was a brother to us, and besides, she could handle herself now. After I delivered my official report to the Colonel, I went to the SSR tent to find Maggie, but she still wasn't there.

“I think she's resting.” I turned to see Howard Stark standing in the entrance to the tent.

“Is that your move? You just wait outside of the tent for people to come in?”

“Maybe.” He had a devilish smile, and sharp knowing eyes. But I wasn't going to fall for it. Men like Stark weren't in this for the long haul. It was some sort of leftover urge from boarding school. Or they wanted to get their rocks off without the threat of a some girl getting in 'trouble'.

“You're out of whiskey.” I gestured to the empty bottle on the desk. Only one glass. Interesting.

“It's been a rough few days.” His careful expression slipped just a hair, and he came to sit on the desk opposite the one I was leaning on. Maggie's desk. There was a pause before he continued.

“As soft as it sounds, your sister is my best friend. When I started to think she might really be gone I- It would have been my fault you see. I made her who she is now. Some super soldier to be tossed into battle.” I was shocked. I knew they were close, he came up a lot in Maggie's letters, but he just assumed she had a crush. Much like she'd had on Bucky once upon a time. I never thought he'd feel the same.

“It doesn't sound soft.” I heard myself saying, “I'm glad she has someone out here.”

“She doesn't need me looking out for her, if that's what you're saying.” I laughed. She'd proved that herself the last few days.

“I didn't mean like that. I'm glad she has a friend out here is all.” I decided to push my luck, “If you are just friends that is.” I tried to inject my words with some sort of subtle question, but I wasn't any good at this. All the coded words and the sneaking around. But Stark smiled like he knew what I was asking and said,

“I'm single, if that's what you're asking.” I nodded and smiled in spite of myself, and decided to leave before I made a fool out of myself.

“See you tomorrow Mr. Stark.” I said, pushing myself off the desk. When I was almost at the tent entrance he said,

“My friends call me Howard, just an FYI.” I could hear the smile in his voice without turning around.

“Goodnight, Howard.”

“Goodnight, Steve.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the crappy updating. I'll try to be better. Let me know what you think!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Sorry if this one was a bit exposition heavy, it'll (hopefully) get better. Please leave Kudos or comments to let me know what you liked, or what you didn't. I love constructive criticism, it's the only way I'll get better :)


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